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Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - ATHENS — Greece is struggling to contain five major wildfires across the country as a severe heatwave continues to grip the region, with temperatures expected to reach 44°C (111.2°F) on Sunday.
The fires, driven by high winds and dry conditions, have prompted evacuations, hospitalizations, and widespread damage to homes and forests.
Firefighters are concentrating efforts on two particularly dangerous blazes on the islands of Kythira and Evia.
In Kythira, the fire broke out Saturday morning near the village of Pitsinades and quickly spread, affecting an estimated 20% of the island.
Evacuation orders were issued on Sunday as flare-ups continued, with firefighting aircraft and helicopters supporting ground crews.
On Evia, a fire near Pissona spiraled out of control on Saturday, injuring six firefighters and leaving several villages without power.
Officials said the situation had somewhat improved by Sunday, but the threat of flare-ups remained due to persistent strong winds.
“We fought all night,” said fire brigade spokesman Vasilios Vathrakoyannis. “The situation has improved, but the risk of new fires today is extremely dangerous.”
The fires are part of a growing crisis that has engulfed multiple regions of Greece.
In Messinia, a blaze broke out Saturday in the Polithea area of Trifylia, damaging homes and farmland.
By Sunday, 100 firefighters were on the scene with additional support to manage the still-active fire front.
In Attica, a region that includes the capital Athens, a fire that began in Afidnes on Saturday tore through Drosopigi, Kryoneri, and Agios Stefanos, forcing evacuations.
While the main front has been largely contained, hotspots continue to burn, and smoke has reached as far as central Athens.
On the island of Crete, firefighters are battling a 20-kilometer-long wildfire in the Chania region, which has scorched forests, beehives, crops, and livestock.
Several villages remain without electricity as strong southwesterly winds hamper containment efforts.
Greece has formally requested assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, seeking six firefighting aircraft to aid its overstretched crews.
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis underscored the scale of the emergency: “We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed.”
The country is still reeling from earlier fires this summer, including one on Crete that forced 5,000 tourists to evacuate, and another on Chios, where 4,700 hectares of land were destroyed.
Meanwhile, neighboring Turkey has recorded its highest-ever temperature at 50.5°C in Silopi.
The country has also been battling fires across several regions. In the northern Karabuk province, crews have been engaged in a four-day effort to contain a blaze, while ten people were killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir.
Water usage restrictions have been announced in some areas, including the resort town of Cesme on the western coast.
With extreme heat continuing and dry winds persisting, both Greece and Turkey remain on high alert as the region faces yet another intensifying climate-driven summer. — Agencies
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